Mr. Minister,%09An esteemed, in Turkish state's service standing Armenian has notified me of his opinion regarding some circumstances concerning parts of the Armenian persecutions. His statements contribute to shed some light on what has been occurring during the past time and I take the freedom to respectfully summarize them here.

As I already have reported /131 B. 25/26 15/ last June, a large number Armenians have been executed and convicted of revolutionary activities. The mentioned person here above explains that he has come to know that, of the first "fournéén" (about 20 persons) executed persons were about 10 or so really guilty of participating in a plot, which have had the aim to make rid of some of the members of the Turkish government. This plot would have been initiated of, among others, Prince Sahabeddin, former Turkish Ambassador to Stockholm, Cherif Pasha, and others abroad living Turks. The aim of the conspirators would have been to arouse a revolution here overthrowing the Young Turks and thereafter Cherif Pasha's assuming the office of Grand Vizier. The revolution would have been initiated with attacks on Turkish ministers and for achieving the necessary tools the conspirators would have been established contacts with the Armenian Sabagulian and other members of the Armenian revolutionary committees in Europe. In exchange of financial compensation they assumed to have succeeded to find the necessary tools among the Armenians here and it would have been these who, 10 in number as mentioned above, now received their deserved punishment. However, their crime would in reality have exclusively consisted of letting Turkish reactionary making them participate in plots against members of government, but not in participating in any revolutionary conspiracy with the aim to create an independent Armenia. The other 10 members of the first "fournéén" who were executed should probably not have been received a sentence than a couple of month's imprisonment. Their execution had probably been done to deter the Armenians in general. Regarding the guilt of the remaining /that is not the 20/ executed persons, my interlocutor has yet not come to know the degree of their possible connections with Armenian revolutionary plans, which, however, although incorrectly have been used as motive for the sentences against every executed person.

Regarding the above mentioned, under the leadership of Cherif Pasha's initiated plot, the newspaper "Tanine", in its issue last May, included some detailed revelations entitled "A Political Comedy". The plan to arouse a revolution here was connected with the attack on the Dardanelles and was regarded have received support from the "Entente" powers.

The plot was revealed in time by the treason of one of the participants, which gave reason to its characterizing as a political comedy, whereby the actors, among them Armenian revolutionaries are told to have been included, are said to had the real aim to appropriate financial advantages to themselves.

My above mentioned Armenian witness reported that, Sheikh-ul-Islam and the former President of the Chamber, Ahmed Riza Bey, are doing their best to restrain the violent persecutions of the Armenians, but with result is yet unknown. The Armenian Patriarch has posed a question to the Minister of Justice and Culture about whether it is the aim to annihilate the entire Armenian nation, in which case he would be inclined to initiate a movement to organize a massive exodus to e.g. South America. In this way the Turks would have be rid of the Armenians and their misery would decrease than the current. Regarding some rumors about forcing Armenians to convert to Islam, my interlocutor thought that the Turks did not initiate these kinds of conversions, since these did not correlate with their interests. Partly, the honesty of the newly converted would not to be trusted, and partly would these conversions the best proof for Armenian really being subject to the most unbearable, ruthless oppression, initiated by the government and the Turkish agencies.